Northern Dynasty Minerals, Ltd. mouthpiece, Bruce Jenkins, seems to becoming more and more distraught over the fear mongering, ill-informed and ignorance spouting rhetoric of theÊ(his self-proclaimed) “fringe element”. He proclaims that the “fringe” is notÊcontributing factual information re: the proposed Pebble mining project.

Here is an irrefutable fact for Mr. Jenkins that should be considered before and above all other information spewing forth from Northern Dynasty:Ê The representative of an international mining options company from a foreign country, yes Canada is a foreign country folks, comes to Alaska from Vancouver, B.C. with a proposal to obliterate an entire eco-system by extracting valuable mineral ore from an enormous area of pristine wilderness. What they’re not telling Alaskans is that said valuable ore will be shipped to another foreign country where the valuable minerals, gold, platinum, copper, etc., will be processed out of the ore. So which country will benefit the most from this scenario?Ê The Pebble project, by his own words, will only benefit one generation of Alaskans. Or will it? Where have the workers come from to work on this project to date? Canada? New Zealand? South America?.

Another fact not being presented by Mr. Jenkins is that Pebble is included in and is about 1/4th the size of “Big Chunk” which substantially comprises the entire volcanic cauldera within which these valuable mineral deposits are found and exploratory work is currently being performed within the entire area to extract/mine the mineral bearing ore.

Simple economics tells us that the scarcity of a valuable item increases its worth. If this is true then the opposite is proven true in that the more of this “item” that is available the less its worth. The value of gold has been rising. The cost of gasoline has been rising. When OPEC opens the oil spout for the rest of the world the cost of crude drops because there is more available. What, I wonder, will happen to the value of gold if whatever country it is extracted in floods the market?.

It is a simple choice. One foreign country has come to town to remove valuable resources to be shipped to another foreign country to be processed and marketed. Alaska will be left with gigantic holes in the ground and who knows what else in the water, no proven tangible benefit to either current or future generations and at least two foreign countries will be the only ones to receive the major value of performing the mining operations. If Alaska doesn’t need it why just give it away to foreign countries when it could be left in place for future generations of Alaskans when a legitimate need for it presents itself?.

Dave Bear

Ninilchik